School is very demanding and requires a lot of concentration. There is only a limited amount of time in a student’s days for personal things, such as mental health, with all the classes and extracurricular activities that make up the college experience. Sometimes your mind will wander, and you will need some tools to keep you on track. This list can help to keep you motivated and focused on your studies.

Create a List

School is compiled of a lot of moving parts such as different classes with assignments and tests that are due on different, and sometimes the same, dates. With many students taking different classes in college, their schedules will not be the same every day. Making sure that you know when each class has assignments and tests will help you to organize everything that you have going on.

Make a list in one place, either on paper or on your phone or computer. Having everything in one place helps to organize all that you have going on and see everything in one spot. With all your information in one place, it will be hard to forget anything because when you check one thing you will see everything else simply because it is there.

Do Small Tasks

When there is a large list of things to do, the tasks can all seem overwhelming. One of the best things you can do is to break the list down into smaller lists of tasks for the week or even the day. Large tasks may take multiple days or weeks, but smaller tasks may take less than 15 minutes. Breaking tasks down into smaller ones is also helpful in showing you how simple some large tasks are. Getting some smaller tasks out of the way and then being able to cross them off your list can motivate you to stay on task for your other larger tasks.

Establish a Schedule

Sometimes studying can be hard to start. Setting up a weekly schedule and time to work on certain tasks or classes can help to get motivated to work. You can also set aside study time with your friends which will help you work together to accomplish the tasks and keep you on schedule as well as help you keep up with your social life. Make sure to add the schedule to any calendar you have so you can block off the time.

Take Breaks

Constantly working can get exhausting so making sure to take breaks will ensure that you don’t burn out and you can stay focused when you do work. One method that a lot of students follow is the Pomodoro Method. This method says to set a timer for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. After four breaks (one hour of real work) you can take a longer break to relax and let your mind rest. There are more methods that work, but this is a terrific one to start off with.

Setting Boundaries

School can easily become overwhelming, and even with all the time management skills, you will need to set some boundaries. Get comfortable with understanding your limits and where you need to draw the line and say no to people or projects. Everyone has a limit and if you take on too much you will not have enough time to care for yourself, which will cancel out all the time management skills you have tried to implement.

Time management is difficult as a student. There are so many pressures that come from college. College can be a lot of fun and you want to make sure you have time to socialize and study. If your students need more help with studying or figuring out how to make it through high school and college, contact TestPrepScore for more help and tips.